outrage and they that doe so are worse than wild beastes Yea and if that that disposition was condemned euen among the heathen by the lawes of men much more shall it be condemned by the Lawe of God And therefore let vs learne to submit our selues to him not after our owne imagination but according to his owne nature But forasmuch as he is a spirit Iohn 4.24 he will haue vs to serue him with such soundnesse that besides the restrayning of our feete and handes our heartes also must be submitted vnto him and that with such subiection and obedience as our whole indeuour be to shew by our deedes that we be his true children in as much as we maintaine brotherlinesse with all those whom he hath called to the same alyance with vs. Nowe let vs kneele down in y e presence of our good God with acknowledgment of our faults praying him to make vs feele them better and that wee considering howe hee hath bounde vs to our neighbours and will haue vs to shewe the reuerence y t that wee beare towardes him by abstaining from all euill wrongfull dealing may liue in such brotherly loue one with another as the chiefe marke that we shoote at may bee to honour him as our father and to suffer our selues to bee gouerned by him and by his holy spirit according to his word so as we may bee strengthened more and more in it knowing that his reaching of his hand to vs is to the end to guide vs and to hold vs vnder his protection That it may please him to graunt this grace not onely to vs but also to all people and Nations of the earth c. On Tewsday the ij of Iuly 1555. The xxxviij Sermon which is the ninth vpon the fifth Chapter 18 Thou shalt not bee an Aduouterer SAint Paul speaking of the life of Christians and hauing exhorted them to the feare of God addeth y t they must walk vprightly and soberly Now it is not to be doubted but that the same is to be referred to the second table of the law Wil we then obserue the things that our Lord hath commaunded vs in the second table It is not ynough for vs to hurt no maÌ„ either in his person or in his goods but besides this rightfulnesse it is required that we should liue stayedly and honestly as is declared in another place And in the former text of the Epistle to Titus which I haue touched Tit. 2.12 hee saith that we were redeemed by the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ to the intent we should liue in the feare of God in this world and also in sobernesse and vprightnesse 1. Tim. 2.2 In another place to Timothie he saieth that if there bee good gouernment so as the Magistrates doe their duetie we shall liue vprightly and honestly in godlinesse And as touching the feare of God it is the same spirituall seruice that we haue spoken of before which coÌ„sisteth of our pure worshipping of him by indeuouring to trust in him by calling vppon him and by yeelding him his deserued reuerence and in respect of our neighbors it consisteth of knowing howe wee ought to behaue our selues one towardes another These are the two pointes that he setteth downe heare The first which is vprightnesse is that wee offer no man any violence extortion or deceite as in respect of his goods and the other which hee setteth downe by the name of honestie sobrietie or stayednesse is that there be no loosenesse wantonnesse leawdenesse or vnrulinesse in our lyfe Wee haue seene that in expounding the commaundement where GOD forbadde to kill I told you how he meant that we should abstaine from all outrage and iniurie and not onely that but also that wee shoulde indeuour to liue quietly with our neighbours and not suffer any man to be troubled And is it so When wee come to treating of goods it shall bee declared that wee must not play the theeues nor beare false witnesse against our neighbours which things pertaine to Iustice or vprightnesse Nowe if wee will yeelde euerie man his right we shal doe no hurt nor wrong to any bodie and as touching goods also wee shall not attempt to rob any of their substance But here God interlaceth a lawe that forbiddeth to commit adulterie that is comprehended vnder the terme of sobrietie or stay ednesse For although we steale awaye no mans goods nor be murtherers and barreters yet if wee bee vnchast wanton or of beastly conuersation we must not thinke that God is contented with vs. Vprightnes Sobernes are things inseparable for God hath ioyned them togither in his lawe and we see that he confirmeth it by his Apostle who largely expoundeth the thing y t is here touched in fewe words And therfore if we wil haue the true meaning of this text wee must vnderstand that God commaundeth vs here to leade an honest and chast life so as there be no dishonestie nor loosenesse in vs. That is the effect of this commandement True it is that here we be expresly forbidden to commit Adulterie that is to say to breake the faith of mariage by intising other mens wiues to naughtinesse But let vs also weigh y e thing that I haue touched here namely how that vnder one particular God comprehendeth the whole and setteth vs downe the thing that ought to mislike vs euen of nature to the end we should abhorre all maner of whoredome the more I told you yesterday that when men are tempted to doe euill they beguile them selues weening that the fault is but small and so from the lesser they proceede to the greater Contrariwise to hold vs in awe God setteth before vs the sins that are heynousest to y e end we should be striken with feare aforehand and not bee ledde so easily to commit any fault As if he should say beware ye fall not for it will make ye to breake your necke beare not your selfe in hand that you shall but slide for the fall will bee deadly and therefore take heede of it Thus ye see in effect why God proceeded in such order in his law why he speaketh not now generally of all whoredome but of Adulterie which is the breaking of Mariage Nowe wee knowe that if any thing ought to bee taken for holye in the whole life of man it is the fayth which the husbande plyghteth to his wife and the wife to her huâ—bande In deede all the couenants and promises y t we make ought to be kept faithfully Psa. 〈…〉 But if wee compare them together it is not without cause that mariage is called the couenant of God Prou. 2.17 For in so saying Salomon sheweth that God is the Lorde of mariage and therefore that if the husband breake the promise which hee hath made to his wife hee is forsworne not onely towardes her but also towardes God In lyke case is it on the womans behalfe Shee doth wrong not onely to her
confesse with humilitie that hee should bee culpable except God vsed mercie towards him For it is not alonely sayde Thou shalt not commit adulterie nor theft nor murder but Thou shalt haue no wicked desire Nowe this surmounteth all the abilities which are in vs. It followeth then that wee haue no other remedie but to humble our selues before GOD and although hee graunt vs grace to fight agaynst our wicked affections yet to confesse that they proceede from the weakenesse of our owne nature and that it is through his goodnesse that wee are absolued and not through our owne merites Thus yee see what is to bee borne in minde touching this point But nowe let vs treate of the matter of diuorcement As touching ciuill order a man was permitted to put away his wife but so as hee gaue her a bill for a witnesse of her honestie to the intent that the wife through the crueltie or waywardnesse of her husband might not bee diffamed but that men should be giuen to vnderstand that shee for her parte ordered her selfe honestly and that shee was not put away for any fault of hers Yee see what is to bee noted in respect of ciuill order Nowe if a man demaunde whether such maner of diuorcementes bee noweadayes permitted Let vs consider of that which our Lorde Iesus Christ sayeth concerning this matter Was it not forbidden you sayeth hee Matt. 19.8 because of the heardnesse of your heartes Nowe then although such a permission were graunted vnto the Iewes yet notwithstanding the lyke is not giuen vs nowadayes For the hauing of moe wiues than one was permitted them likewise as wee haue seene heeretofore because it was not punished and should wee therefore looke nowadayes to haue the like libertie in that behalfe No. For wee see that because God hath reueiled his will more fully vnto vs than vnto the Iewes it is good reason that wee haue a strayter brydle than they had yea and the libertie which is giuen vnto vs ought to binde vs so much the more in this behalfe than were the Iewes For as concerning ceremonies and other such like thinges the Iewes were vnder as straite bondage as none might bee greater They were loaden with such a burden as made them to bende and to sigh vnder it And for this cause it is sayde that the lawe bringeth nought else but feare Rom. â— â—5â— Nowe wee are freed from this so heauie yoke I meane in respect of the ceremonies but as for the rest wee are a great deale more bounde to walke according vnto the will of our GOD. So that all these diuorcementes and this hauing of moe wiues than one ought nowadays to be abhorred among Christians although among the Iewes there was libertie graunted for these things and they remained vnpunished Let this bee noted touching the rule of ciuill order But the principall point is for vs to vnderstand what is lawfull for vs and from thence euerie one may gather what his office and duetie is towardes his wife And the wiues also are to bee exhorted to dischardge themselues the more faithfully towards their husbandes when they shall knowe vpon what condition they are ioyned together Nowe as touching the husbandes Matt. 〈…〉 our Lorde Iesus Christ sayeth that if any man forsake his wife except it bee for fornication hee is an adulterer and hee maketh his wife an adultresse also he excepteth forcation Nowe when hee sayeth that the man is an adulterer it is because hee hath broken wedlocke For if hee separate himselfe from his wife although hee play not the adulterer otherwise yet seeing hee hath falsified the fayth which he once plighted he is conuicted of adultery The reason is because it is the law of mariage that when a man ioyneth himselfe vnto a wife hee taketh her for his companion to liue to dy withall If the nature of wedlocke be such that the man and the wife be contracted together to the end to liue to die together that y e man should be the head the woman y e body the man hath now but the halfe part of his own person and can no more separate himselfe from his wife than cut himself into two peeces And y t were as I told you against nature Now he maketh his wife also an adultresse for although the wife haue liberty to take vnto hir a newe partie according vnto ciuil order yet as touching God she ought to take no other but to remaine a widow For if she go and marry hir selfe againe she is an adultresse 1. Cor. 7. â—â— and that is y e cause why S. Paule also saith expresâ—e that if a woman be separated from hir husband not for adultery for he meaneth not so but because the husband cannot brooke his wife shee shall remaine a widowe or reconcile her selfe sayth hee vnto her husbande Yee see what the remedy is which Saint Paule giueth And it is no new remedie which appertayneth to Christians as touching conscience it hath euer beene For S. Paul addeth nothing vnto the law of God nor to that rule which is common vnto all the children of God But although the Iewes had that custome bicause of y e hardnes of their hearts yet neuerthelesse if a woman bee put away from hir husband she ought rather to remaine a wydowe or to reconcile hirselfe vnto hir husband than to marrie againe For otherwise shee fayleth not to bee defyled as wee see by this place And that were an abhomination before GOD. And if she had patiently wayted to enter into fauour and to hee coupled agayne to hir first husband shee had not beene an adultresse Nowe as touching the man he committeth double adulterie by diuorsing his wyfe in this order For for his owne part seeing hee hath broken wedlocke he is an adulterer and againe he casteth off his wife as if hee woulde put her into the stewes hee maketh hir an harlot by giuing of hir leaue to take a newe make for that is against GODS institution it is against the order of marriage which ought to be kept without any gaynsaying Nowe heereby wee are taught that men ought to beare with their Wiues and although they haue some vices and some staines in them notwithstanding when they seeke to correct them they ought to vse all gentlenesse For why It is not ynough for a man to keepe his wyfe in his house and say Well I cannot driue thee out tarie here therefore and in the meane time hee groyne at hir he spurne hir he beaâ—eth hir hee vexeth hir and hee vouchsafeth not to doe the office and duetie of an husband towardes hir If a man keepe his wyfe by him in such order it were much better he were diuorced from hir and that shee liued in peace in some little corner or other where she should not so languish and pine away in sorrowe all the dayes of hir lyfe And wee see in what sort our Lorde speaketh hereof by his Prophet
it slip let vs not deceiue our selues for all that for God will requite it with horrible reuenge And we see it is not without cause that God hath so grieuously punished the fornications of such as had promised or betrothed themselues vnto husbands And if this bee so with them what shall bee saide of the wife which is alreadie married For shee is giuen to an husbande to helpe him to gouerne his house in the name of god if she giue her selfe ouer so villainously vnto whoredome shee not onely robbeth her husbande of his good name and worketh him a great outrage but she spoileth also the name of the whole familie For shee playeth the whore with another man and the children which she beareth through that whoredome doe beare the name of her husband And againe the goods and substance of the man are taken from the lawfull children and be giuen to bastardes which haue no title thereunto And is not y t a more wicked villanie than if one had broken vp an house rifled all the coffers spoyled and taken away all things and committed the greatest robberies in the worlde Yes verily and it ought lesse to bee borne withall and that knewe the heathen men well ynough If we had no more but the Lawe of Moses yet ought we to be more ashamed to see whoredome nowadayes so easily pardoned and so small account to be made of it But when the heathen men teach vs our lesson and vse better order by a great deale than those which at this day call themselues Christians I pray you what a witnesse will that be against vs at the latter day Blind men haue beene of more clearer sight than we Wee Christians say continually that Iesus Christ hath brought a true declaration of the Lawe to the intent we shoulde knowe that that is our perfect holinesse which is there contained Indeede hee added nothing thereunto But yet neuerthelesse wee ought to bee better learned than the fathers which liued before the Gospel But how profite we There is no account made nowadaies of whoredome Wedlock is broken faith is falsified yet men make no reckning of it it passeth scotfree In what state then thinke yee are wee If men will shifte the matter by saying Oh sir yee must beare with our weakenesse thinke wee it shal bee taken for payment before God Is not his worde alwayes vnreuocable Is it not all one as if he shoulde say Haue yee no care of that which I commaunde you And what are yee Are you trowe yee wiser than I Well I will make you to knowe that I am your Iudge And let vs note well that the sinne and wickednesse is doubled when men cannot finde in their hearts to yeelde vnto that which God hath once spoken but will needes choppe Logike with him So then let vs knowe that there is a double woe threatened vs when wee see God on the one side speaketh vnto vs and telleth vs that whoredome is such a pestilent infection as hee can in no wise suffer it and that hee declareth when marriage which hee hath dedicated in his name is corrupted that it must needes bee punished When wee heare that God proceedeth vnto such seueritie and also see that euen onely by nature hee hath inspired the heathen to knowe that there coulde bee no order among men except whoredome shoulde be seuerely punished what are wee able to say Nowe then first of all whereas it is saide heere that a maide which hath betrothed her selfe vnto an husbande shal bee stoned with the fornicator if shee suffer herselfe to bee defiled wee must vnderstande that seeing shee was so leawde as to falsifie her faith yea and that in so holy and sacred a thing as is marriage our Lord esteemed her as one giuen ouer to all vice and sinne For a woman which plaieth the harlot is alreadie worse than a thief because shee hath done much worse in working her husbande such wrong and villanie than if she had robbed him of his monie Moreouer wee must returne to this point namely to consider of the promise that is made in marriage of howe great importance it is For we knowe to what ende marriage was ordained namelie to the intent that men shoulde liue honestlie together and that there should be no such beastlie loosenesse of coupling themselues together like dogges and bitches or like bulles and kyne but that they shoulde shewe that they beare not the likenesse of God in vaine Seeing then that marriage is ordained vnto this ende if men will walk cleane contrarie is it not an open defiance of God Is it not a plucking of him out of his throne and such a wyping out of his image as men can no more know themselues bu◠become as bulles and dogges Therfore when men fall to such extremitie must not God shew forth his anger But let vs alwayes returne vnto that point which wee named before that as this commandement is giuen vnto Iudges and Magistrates touching ciuill order so ought euerie of vs to be admonished of his duetie that wee walke more carefully in our vocatiō If such as beare y e scepter of iustice in their hands do suffer whoredom to raigne and wedlocke to bee broken so as neither faith nor promise be kept any longer they shall yeeld an account hereof vnto God But yet for all that let vs looke vnto our selues and let euerie man so walke as y t he haue not God for his iudge For what shall we winne by scaping y e hands of men so as our offence is not perceiued or else we bee by some wicked shifts practises quit from punishment and no man sayes a word vnto vs. Yet for al that we must come to our reckening before God who will not lose one iot of his right Although men be negligent or play the blinde men yet will God in the end shew that he forgate no peece of our doings but registred thē euerie one in his book Let vs therfore take heed we walke in such sort as wee esteeme highly of mariage And forasmuch as wee see y t God beareth rule ouer it and accurseth al adulterers and fornicatours let that moue vs to be helde in the greater feare and carefulnesse Wee see howe the Paynims for al their superstitions and ydolatries had yet I knowe not what a blind motion whereby they were perswaded for the better maintaining of marriages that their gods or rather ydolles were the protectours thereof And why thought they so It was euen of a meere follie I graunt it but yet this folly of theirs proceeded from a good grounde They were corrupted with superstitions and had imbrewed it with their inuentions and errors But yet neuerthelesse this alwayes remained was so engrauen in their mindes as it coulde not bee wiped out that God meant there should be such a marke in marriage and that men should know that hee had a care of it Seeing it is so let vs take good heede
of his holy spirit to ouercome all the temptations against which wee are dayly to fight vntill he hath giuen vs victorie in all our conflictes when hee shall haue withdrawen vs to himselfe to make vs partakers of his glorie in the kingdome of heauen That it will please him to graunt this grace not onely vnto vs but also vnto all peoples and nations of the earth c. On Fryday the last of Ianuarie 1556. The Cxxxvij Sermon which is the second vpon the foure and twentith Chapter 1.2.3.4 When a man taketh a wife c. 5 When a man taketh a newe wife he shall not goe to warre neither shall hee be charged with any busines but shal be free at home one yeere and reioyce with his wife which he hath taken 6 No man shall take the neather nor the vpper milstone for a pledge for this gage is his liuing I Haue declared already at large how men ought to liue in agreement with their wiues and how the bonde of mariage is such as cannot bee broken It remayneth nowe that we come to the exception which our Lord Iesus Christ maketh to wit Matt. 19.9 that for the cause of adulterie it shall bee lawfull for a man to put away his wife The reason is for that the man on his parte breaketh not the faith which he plighted but the wife hauing played the harlot doth asmuch as in her is vndoe the marriage altogether and so defileth it as there remayneth no longer any holynesse in it For on what other condition is the husband ioyned vnto the wife but that they should liue chastly one with another But the partie which committeth adulterie breaketh this condition and therefore the bond of mariage is then vntyed So then if a man knowing his wife to be a whore and hauing likewise prooued her such a one for sake her he violateth not the institution of God neither transgresseth he this law They shall be two in one flesh Matt. 19.5 but he is quitte and set freee because the wife hath swarued aside from the order of God and of nature Let vs therefore note well that when our Lorde Iesus Christ aloweth the diuorcement which is made for the cause of adultery it is not to graunt a man leaue to chaunge any thing in the institution of God For it must euer holde true That man may in no wise sunder those whom God hath ioyned together But because the woman hath broken the condition of mariage the husband is freed from it The thing then which wee haue to beare in mind is that the exception which we heere haue rehearsed serueth not in any way to lessen the force of the law of God That coniunction which God hath ordayned must alwaies remaine firme and steadfast But she that playeth the harlot is no longer a wife she is no longer to be taken deemed for such a one Now if a man demaund on the other side whether y e woman for her part hath like libertie we heare what Saint Paul saith y t like as y e husband is not maister of his owne body 1. Cor. 7.4 no more also is the wife of hirs Ye see what an equalitie of like right y e holy ghost setteth downe y t like as y e woman when she is maried is not mystris of her owne body so on the contrary side a man after y t he hath plighted his faith to his wife is bound in such wise y t if he abandon himself otherwise vnto lust his fault is alike with y e adulterie which y e wife committeth So then if wee will hold our selues vnto y t which God hath commaÌ„ded we see y t the rule is most euident and cleare namely y t the man must not only content himselfe w t the wife which he hath taken y t is to say he must not only keepe hir for a companion but also beare with hir bicause y t marriage importeth a true and perfect vnion of two persons and that as hartie as any may be Which vnion is not possible to be maintained except y e husband doe beare with his wife with those frailties which are in hir the wife also for hir part endeuor to please hir husband to bee obedient vnto him This we see I say on the one side againe wee see that if the wife be so loose in life as to giue ouer her selfe to fornication shee breaketh wedlock wherby she doth as it were warre with God peruerting all honesty which ought to be holy inuiolable Now if when the woman offendeth so on hir part the husband likewise step a side in his dewty and ouershoote himselfe so farre as to breake the faith which he hath plighted vnto his wife he is condemned of God For why The bond as I told you which passeth betwixt them is mutuall and of like force touching them both And in this case there is no doubt but that a man may marry a gaine if he in this sorte put away his wife because of adulterie and men shew an ouer grosse abuse when they weigh not the words of our Lord Iesus Christ Matt. 19.9 That if a man forsake his wife except it be for adulterie mary an other he is an adulterer that he causeth her whom he hath forsaken to commit adulterie also Now when Christ excepteth y e cause of adulterie it is to set the man in y t case at free choice libertie to mary agayne For what a thing were it to bar a man from a newe match if he haue obserued his promise faithfully liued in the feare of God and not beene vnfaithfull towardes his wife If he be constrained to put her away must he be punished for the offence of an other What reason were in that Should he not haue open wrong doone him Especially considering that our Lord Iesus Christ in that text addeth Matt. 19.11 1. Cor. 7. â—â— That all haue not the gift of continencie and that such as haue not receiued it haue the remedie of marriage and that they ought to vse it When our Lorde Iesus Christ pronounceth this thinke we that his meaning was that the poore wretched man who hath liued blamelesse with an harlot should bee left in dispayre Nay if hee see filthynesse in his house he must whether he will yea or no cast foorth such vncleannesse except he will infect himselfe therewith and be accounted a partie in such wickednesse Now if a man discharge his dewtie in this behalfe thinke we that God barreth him of all right and that he leaueth him in such trouble and anguish as he may not know where to become but must remaine vnprouided of all remedie It was therefore an ouer grosse folly in men not to knowe that our Lord Iesus Christ leaueth a man in free libertie to marrie agayne when his make hath violated the faith of marriage As much is to be sayde in the behalfe of the woman seeing the
vs goe and serue other gods which thou hast not knowen nor yet thy fathers 7 That is to wit any of the gods of the nations that are about thee whether they bee neere thee or farre off from thee from the one side of the earth to the other 8 Consent not to him neither giue eare vnto him neither let thine eye fauour him shewe him not any pitie neither conceale him 9 But thou shalt put him to death thy hande shal be the first vpon him to put him to death and afterward the hand of all the people 10 And thou shalt stone him with stones and so he shall die for he hath sought to thrust thee from the Lorde thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage 11 That all Israell may heare and be afraide and not doe such a wicked thing among you any more Psal. 69.10 HAd we the zeale in vs that is spoken of in the Psalme that wee tooke the reproch which is done vnto GOD as if it were offered to our selues this lawe here were in a manner needelesse For euerie of vs woulde willingly of his owne accorde indeuour to maintaine Gods honour But nowe inasmuch as manie men thinke it to be too excessiue rigour to put the troublers and peruerters of religion to death thereby it appeareth that we despise Gods honour and make no greate account of it For euerie of vs would faine haue his owne honour maynteined and if anie man haue stormed against vs wee thinke the time will neuer come soone ynough for vs to bee reuenged If a man doe vs any wrong or iniurie wee woulde that euerie man shoulde sette himselfe against it in our defence but if Gods honour bee trampled vnder foote wee lette it slippe Wee see then howe colde and vnlustie wee bee but this vnlustinesse of ours deserueth a more shamefull name For if a man suffer his father to bee scorned folke will say hee is not worthie to liue in the worlde because he doeth against his kinde And beholde GOD is as it were torne in peeces by wicked mennes aduauncing of themselues to rend asunder the vnion of the fayth wherethrough it is his will to bee knowen and whereby it is his will to reigne among vs and that is borne withall And is not that a token that if it lay in vs wee woulde neuer haue any remembraunce of GOD at all But forasmuch as there is so litle zeale in vs therefore is this Lawe giuen vs. And GOD declareth that hee is not vnmindefull of his owne maiestie but that hee will haue the defacing thereof to bee punished Naye rather hee sheweth that hee disclaymeth vs for his people if we haue not a speciall regarde of this case of his Wee haue hearde heeretofore what hath beene sayde concerning false prophetes namely that if anie man troubled the Churche of GOD hee shoulde bee stoned to death without sparing Nowe God expresseth yet better the thing that he hadde spoken which is that we must put all affections of nature vnder foote when his honour commeth in question so as the father must not spare his sonne nor the brother his brother nor the husbande his wife nor the friend his friende y t is as deere to him as his own life y t he be not put to death And good reason For doe not all the friendeshippes in the worlde proceede of that order of nature whiche the creator hath established Then if wee will not sette the carte before the horses wee muste alwayes beginne at GOD. And Saint Paule doeth not without cause say Eph. 3.15 that al kinred commeth from thence and issueth out of that fountayne Also when there is any friendshippe betweene man and man it must alwayes bee referred to this marke that GOD haue still the cheife preheminence and that wee be ioyned together in him And cursed be al alyaunce that separateth vs from our maker in whome consisteth all our life welfare and ioye Then if a husbande loue his wife without regarde of GOD hee is woorthie to bee thrust out amonge the brute beastes In like case is the father which aimeth not at the same marke in louing of his children If wee be so linked together and haue so plighted our faith and trothe one to an other as wee may seeme after a forte to haue as ye would say but one soule in two bodies and in the mean while GOD be lette alone vnthought on doe yee not see that it is too shamefull a beastlinesse Then is it not without cause that GOD hath tolde vs expresly that his honour is to bee preferred before al worldely or naturall considerations And lette vs marke well the wordes that are sette downe heere for they bee of great weight Moses coulde haue sayde singly If thy brother thy wife thy sonne or some friende of thine indeâ— thee and goe aboute to allure thee to naughtinesse but hee addeth which is of much more vehemencie If thy brother the sonne of thy mother which laye in the same bellie that thou thy selfe diddest And to what ende is this doone of GOD but to searche the bottome of our affections by entering euen vnto our bowels as if hee shoulde say I will see whether yee loue mee better than yee doe these carkesses For what is thy brother Hee is but a mortall creature and I will see whether thou sette more store by him than by mee Naye say wee but he and I laye both in one bellie That is trewe sayth GOD but is it not meete that I shoulde alwayes haue the vpper hande and highest preheminence The same case is it when hee sayeth thine owne sonne thine owne daughter thy wife that sleepeth in thy bosome Hee coulde haue sayde singly thy wife but hee sayeth No thou muste forgette and quite and cleane shake off all the loue which thou bearest to thy wife if shee goe about to plucke thee away from me Agayne If thou haue a friende sayeth hee which is as deere to thee as thine owne life thou must lay thy hande vppon him also to stone him thou must not onely bee his accuser and giue euidence against him but thou must also sette hande vppon him without sparing all mercie and pitie must bee put away in that case Hereby wee see in effect as I sayde afore that Gods will is to trie vs whether wee truely loue him And for that cause doeth he sette downe vnto vs whatsoeuer might holde vs backe or hinder our desire from shewing such zeale as wee ought to haue to the mainteinaunce of his honour declaring vnto vs that if any thing bee an impediment to our continuall keeping of the vnion of fayth aboue all thinges in such wise as it is contayned in his woorde wee bee traytoures and false hearted towardes him and hee will shake vs off and in steede of taking vs for his children hee will giue vs ouer and banishe vs from his kingdome and his Churche for hee will haue
once be a wicked thing and that God finde fault with it insomuch as he had leuer that a man should put his wife away than y t mariage should be broken and the order thereof ouerthrowen let vs assure our selues there is yet a greater mischiefe namely secret hatred when a man loueth not his wife but is inflamed with a wicked desire to haue an other beside her And so ye see that the greatest wickednesse that can be is this vnfaithfulnes wherethrough mariage is corrupted and men haue no more care to followe the order of GOD and nature and to frame themselues thereafter Furthermore as touching the worde Hate let vs note that it is taken heere for ouer colde loâ—ing For inasmuch as the Lawe punished not a man for putting of his wife away if he had hated her in deede he would surely haue thrust her out of his house and companie Therefore in keeping her still he shewed plainely that hee hated her not as we meane by hating in our common speech and yet doeth God account it for hatred and not without cause which is a text well worthy to be noted For if a man hate not his wife deadly so as hee woulde kill her with beating or wish her in her graue he will beare the world in hande that although he loue her not yet he doth not vtterly hate her But heere ye see how God speaketh farre otherwise For he sayeth and auoweth that if a mans heart be not whole and sounde towardes his wife it is to be taken for hatred Therefore let vs imbrace this saying That a husbande must loue his wife as himselfe Eph. 5.28 euen as his owne person If hee doe not so yet shall this sentence of God alwayes take place And this lesson ought to serue not onely for the mutuall loue betweene man and wife but also generally for the loue towards our neighbours When a man hath an offence committed against him if he seeke no reuendge if he practise no wicked wayes if he intende not to murder him by sword or by poysoning if he goe about no wicked conspiracie against him he will say As for mee If I would him any euill let it light vpon my selfe I wish him nothing but his benefite and welfare That is true but yet in the meane while there is a secret rancour lurking within And wee must not thinke that God acquitteth vs when we haue such heartburning in vs bearing in minde the offence that hath beene committed against vs so as we be loth to pleasure the partie and could rather finde in our heartes that euill mought befall him On the other side some man is so far reconciled as hee can not finde in his heart to commit any wicked dede by trecherie or vnfaithfulnesse nor by any maner of violence and yet he thinkes with himselfe such a one is mine enemie he hath gone about to vndoe me yet will I forgiue him so farre that I will doe nothing against him But yet if some mischaunce might befall him he would be glad of it and say O it is well bestowed for what had he purposed against me When we keepe such backe shops it is a token that our heart is not rid quite cleane The hatred appeareth not openly but yet it abideth lurking still within And he y t hateth his neighbour in his heart sayeth Saint Iohn that is to say in secret is a murtherer before God So then let vs marke that loue consisteth not onely in wishing none euill to our neighbours but also in seeking their welfare as much as we can and in reioycing at the welfare of our enemies And specially if a man intende to discharge his duety towardes his wife he must not loue her slenderly but he must accept her as his wife that is to say as the partie whom God hath linked to him and therefore he must beare with her and maintaine peace and concorde with her as much as he can possibly That is the thing that Moses meant is saying If a man hate his wife For else a man might say as for mee if I hadde hated her I woulde haue beene diuorced from her and not haue kept her still For what a thing had it beene for me to haue kept her still in my house Yea but wherefore hast thou taken an other wife to her but because thou diddest mislike of the first All the pretences which thou canst alleadge are to no purpose vaine are such excuses For God who is y e Iudge of mens hearts telleth thee that if thou beare her not a right and pure loue thou hatest her Now Moses addeth When he hateth the one and loueth the other if he haue children by them both he may not make the childe of the beloued his heire by giuing him the prerogatiue of dubble portion aboue the rest of his children But the birthright must remaine to him to whome it belongeth by nature though the mother of him was not so well liked of her husbande as the other That is the thing in effect which Moses commaundeth in this text And as touching the birthright of the firstborne it was verie auntient euen before the Lawe yea euen before the going of the people into Egypt there was a regard had of the birthright For although Iacob was in Egypt when hee dyed yet spake hee as of a thing growen already into custome and helde for a common rule that is to witte that there shoulde alwayes bee a kinde of preheminence in eldership so as y e eldest brother should beare chiefe sway in the house ouer his brethreÌ„ And we see it in very deede in the blessing y t Isaac gaue vnto Iacob taking him neuerthelesse to haue beene Esaw For he maketh him his eldest sonne with prerogatiue of Lordshippe and souereigntie ouer all his brethren that is to say ouer all his kinred Yee see then howe it is an auntient prerogatiue insomuch as a man may say it came as it were by inspiration that it was not of mens inuenting but of Gods owne appointing though we haue no recorde thereof ne can proue the thing otherwise than by single coniecture Yet notwithstanding this serueth not to excuse the ambition of such as will needes giue al that they haue to their eldest sonne to the intent to maintaine their houses in greate estate which we see is the marke that men haue shot at Whereof comes it that in many countryes the elder brother hath all and the younger brothers as good as nothing and that men doe giue them a morsell of breade as though their fathers had layde the wallet vppon their neckes to bid them shift for themselues Whereof comes this but of a pride that they will needes haue their houses to continue in their name and not be diminished Yea but our Lorde telleth vs that we must passe through this worlde as wayfarers And wee knowe how the prophet skorneth those that will needes plant their names vpon earth after that
fashion Psal. 49.12 In the nine and fortith Psalme he declareth that they must needes be very dulwitted sith they see that they must goe to the graue like sheepe and that their life is as fickle as can bee and yet notwithstanding will needes as it were in dispite of God haue an euerlasting monumēt here belowe where all thinges are transitorie But yet doeth this madnesse continue alwayes as he sheweth anon after Wee see with our eies how God mocketh such beastlinesse of men and yet their aftercommers continue still hard hearted and wilfull following the madnesse of their fathers And when there be Lawes that giue al the substaunce after that fashion to the eldest brother and leaue the rest of the children vnprouided let vs assure our selues that those Lawes are vnrightfull and wicked And why For as I haue sayde afore we must goe to the roote and when we will iudge of thinges aright wee must haue an eye to the originall from whence the same proceedeth For although God put men neuer so much in minde of their frailtie yet is there such an ouerweening in them that they will needes be abiding still in this worlde and leaue an euerlasting remembrāce behind them Againe we see that this kinde of dealing is contrarie to all naturall affection For ought not a father to loue all his children Yea but this is my firstborne And what are the rest Wilt thou leaue them to the wide worlde Wilt thou haue no regard of them He that careth not for those which are of his owne housholde is worse than an Infidell sayeth Saint Paul and hath forsaken the faith 1. Tim. 5.8 Euen the very heathen had this grauen alwayes in their hearts that howsoeuer they themselues fared they had especiall care of their children Although a mannes children be not worthie to be beloued yet ought nature to ouerrule in that case whatsoeuer come thereof Nay although you yourselues be euill sayth our Lord Iesus Christ yet do ye not faile to procure good to your children Matt. 7.11 Therefore as for thē that haue vtterly done away all naturall affection they shewe themselues to bee woorse than the heathen and more corrupted than they So then we must alwayes holde vs to this rule that a father is bound to prouide for all his children and that the eldest must not be as a gulfe Againe the birthright which was allowed of before the Lawe and also put in vre afore the Law allowed but dubble portion to the eldest And that was reasonable because the eldest is commonly put to the greatest charges and when his brothers are left fatherlesse hee must be faine to be their guyde and to be as a head and a father to them all Moreouer he is as it were the strength of his father aboue all the rest And it is the reason that is set downe here which reason we see that Iacob also vseth Gen. 49. ◠saying he is the beginning of my strength God bestoweth a kinde of dignitie vpon men when he maketh them fathers for hee imparteth his owne name vnto them All kinred proceedeth from him and to speake properly there is no father but he I meane as well of the body as of the soule And yet notwithstanding the same title is attributed to men euen because God vouchsafeth to yeelde them that honour Nowe when God honoreth a man so much as to make him a firstbegottē and to giue him preheminence aboue his brothers if he abuse it he casteth away the grace that God bestoweth vpon him Neuerthelesse we see it is not so perpetuall a rule but that an elder brother may be dispossessed of his roome Gen. 49.4 as we see befell to Ruben who was Iacobs eldest sonne And the Testament that Iacob made was not after the common maner of men as though the matter had beene to haue bin ordered after his owne liking but God spake by his mouth so as there scaped him not any one worde which was not a prophesie And therefore he sayth Thou Ruben my firstbegottē which wast y e flower beginning of my strength thou oughtest to haue bin innobled in my house but nowe thou hast beene sorrowe and heauines to me Thou must then vanish away and be bereft of the honour that belonged to thee by nature Thus was Ruben dispossessed and after a sort banished from his birthright For he hadde committed too too wicked a deede too deadly a crime And although God forgaue him so as he dyed not for it yet was he noted with endlesse infamie both he all his ofspring because of the incest which hee had committed The right then of the eldership is not a thing so peremptorily assured but that a child may be dispossessed of it for his misbehauiour or for some other lawefull cause But that a man shoulde bee suffered to peruert the order of nature for one wiues sake whō hee loueth better than an other that were no reason Nowe then let vs marke in fewe wordes that God ment to make a brydle to restraine men withall least they might be won by their wiues allurementes to conuey away the right of their children from one to another God I say ment to prouide a remedy for it aforehande And first of all let vs marke that the affections which we bring naturally with vs from our mothers wombe are vtterly corrupted in vs by I wote not what a kinde of lustes And if it be so in them what is it in the rest As I sayde afore ye see howe the loue of a father is common to all men by nature It is not a vertue peculiar to the faithfull as it were for that they be willing to obey God and haue an eye to his commaundements but although a man were neuer taught it ne euer wist what the seruice of GOD ment yet shall he well vnderstande that it is but ambition and pride to defraude the rest of this children of the portion of his goods for the aduancing of his eldest sonne True it is that he is the beginning of his strength but what for that should a man be so bewitched with the liking of a woman that he should vtterly forget what nature it selfe teacheth vs and which ought to be printed in all men euen from their mothers wombes Therefore we haue heere a good and profitable lesson to put vs in mind that we must fight against our lustes as though they were enemies inflamed against vs with all rage and that we must inforce ourselues in this case for we shal neuer bring it to passe with ease And the hardnesse therof must not discorage vs but although we see it to be a verie difficult and troublesome thing to be able to ouermaister our lustes Yet let vs goe forewarde with it still In deede wee must not presume vpon our owne strength but we must acknowledge our owne weakenes flee vnto God who in the ende will giue vs a happie victorie
the people of olde time we should be olde ones full ripe in yeeres Let vs then be ashamed if y e Law of God which should serue vs for a bond cannot holde vs backe but we are carryed headlong into all wickednesse Let vs bethinke vs of keeping our selues in such an estate as we may shew that God hath not without good cause shooled vs out vnto his seruice that we will not take such lawles libertie as the ignorant and vnbeleeuing do who haue no guide nor direction Now let vs kneele downe before the face of our good God with acknowledgement of our faultes praying him y t being touched with liuely repeÌ„tance we may runne vnto him who hath the remedie in his hand to help vs And pray we him that of his goodnesse and fatherlie courtesie he will beare with vs vntil he hath clothed vs with that fulnes of righteousnesse and holynesse whereunto we tend And let vs notwithstanding not cease to bewaile our selues before him vntill he haue fully deliuered vs from all those staines which are in vs. And so let vs say Almighty God and heauenly Father c. On Tewsday the xiiii of Ianuarie 1556. The Cxxviij Sermon which is the fourth vpon the two and twentith Chapter 13 If a man take a wife and when he hath lyen with her hate her 14 And laye slaunderous things vnto her and bring vp an euil reporte of her and say I toke this wife and when I came to her I found her not a maide 15 Then shall the father and the mother of the maide take the signes of her virginitie and bring them forth before the elders vnto the gate 16 And the maids father shall say vnto the elders I gaue my daughter vnto this man to wife and hee hateth her 17 And lo he layeth slaunderous things to her charge saying I founde not thy daughter a mayde notwithstanding beholde the tokens of my daughters virginitie And they shal spreade the vestures before the elders of the Citie 18 Then the elders of the Citie shall take that man and chastice him 19 And shall condemne him in an hundred pieces of siluer and giue them vnto the father of the maide because he hath brought vp an euil report vpon a maide of Israell and she shal be his wife and he may not put her away as long as he shall lyue 20 But if this thing be true that the young woman be not founde a maide 21 Then shal they bring forth the maide to the doore of her fathers house the men of the Citie shall stone her with stones and she shall die because she hath doone leawdly in Israell by playing the whore in her fathers house and so thou shalt put away the euill from a mong you 22 If a man be founde lying with a woman married vnto an husband they shall die euen both twaine namely the man which lay with the wife and the wife her selfe And so thou shalt take away the euill out of Israel 23 If a mayde be betrothed vnto a husband and a man finde her in the Citie and lye with her 24 Then shal yee bring them both vnto the gate of the Citie and stone them with stones that they die the mayde because she cried not out being in the citie and the man because he hath humbled his neighbours wife and so shalt thou take away this euil from among you ALl this which we haue here recited serueth to declare what speciall care God hath that chastitie should be maintained among his people And hereof wee may gather this that if whoredomes haue their full skope among vs it is such an abomination in the sight of God that it prouoketh his wrath and vengeance And that people must needes be accursed among whom there is a lawles libertie to goe a whorehunting and where this vile filthinesse is not clensed Ye see then in effect whereunto we must apply this whole doctrine But yet for all that we must note the thinges as they are set down here to the intent we may apply euery point vnto his vse First of all therefore our Lord sheweth that by great reason he ought to be chastised which bringeth vp a slaunderous report vpon any body for euery mans estimation ought to bee maintained Moreouer that if a man or woman complayne that he is wrongfully accused when notwithstaÌ„ding he is found faultie his punishment ought to be doubled And from this Lawe we may gather a good lesson We know how it is sayd y t a mans good name is better and more precious than either golde or siluer And if a man bee once past shame it is a sure token that he is wedded to all wickednesse It is natural therefore to euery man to maintayne his credite In deede we must not be ambitiouâ—ly giuen as they which couet naught else but to bee esteemed of men Wo woorth vs if we goe that way to worke 〈◊〉 12.17 But we ought as Saint Paul sayth to procure that which is good not onely in conscience before God but also in the sight of men to the intent that we be not a stumbling blocke of offence and that men take vs not for a buckler when they will doe amisse and alledge and did not such a one doe so For what a thing were it if men should take occasion by vs to offend God Ye see then to what end we ought to maintayne our credit as much as lyeth in vs. And for this cause it is sayd here that if any after that he hath taken a woman to wife accuseth her that she behaued herself lewdlie before he tooke her then the father and the mother shall come and maintaine the honestie of their daughter and the man which shall bee found to haue wrongfullie charged her whome hee had espoused shall bee punished both in his bodie and in his purse and their daughter shall so remaine with him that he may neuer bee diuorced from her Wee see now how God would not suffer the husband to accuse the wife wrongfully and therefore by greater reason it may bee concluded that it is not lawfull for a straunger to flaunder one in respect of chastitie which is fouÌ„d innocent For the husband might alledge that he hath more libertie to doe so because hee is her head and superiour But in any wise God wil not that a woman bee falsely accused and hee commaundeth that the husband should bee punished for so doing yea and that in his very person For besides that monie which is here set downe there was a further appointed correction by the Iudges And let vs note that this was done not onely to maintaine the womans good name but also to moue women the more to liue chaste when God declareth himselfe the protectour of their honestie When we see that God hath this care that they which liue honestly and w tout reproofe haue their good name also maintained and that the husband shal be chastised if he
Malachie when he treateth of the matter of hauing moe wiues than one If thy wife please thee not put hir away rather than ioyne thy selfe with many Not that hee gaue a man leaue to put away his wyfe but hee sayeth it were better for a man to put away his wife than to keepe hir so with griefe and sorrowe And he maketh a comparison betwixt two euilles of which a man ought to shunne the woorst Yee shall haue some man keepe his poore wife but it shall bee for no other ende but to brawle with hir and to molest and vexe hir with all the disquietinges in the world Nowe there is no reason to the contrarie but that a poore creature shoulde at the least haue peace and quietnesse So then as I haue told you let this place of the Prophet serue to shewe vs whereunto wee are bound that is that a man put not away his wife by diuorcing of hir But when wee are commaunded euerie man to keepe his wife except it bee for adulterie it is all one as if it were sayde that a man must bee gentle towardes his wife and loue hir as his owne flesh as Saint Paule warneth vs in another place in the fifth to the Ephesians and if there bee vices in hir hee must beare with them in such sort as there may bee peace and concord maintayned in the housholde If men vnderstoode that they are such debters vnto their wiues that is to say that marriage requireth a peaceable kinde of life betweene man and wife so as if there bee any thing amisse yet they ought not to bee ouer frowarde therefore but quiet and patient wee shoulde see an other manner of blessing in al houses and families than we doe now see But nowadayes the most part of husbandes and wiues are like Dogges and Cattes For they haue no such regard of their duetie that if a man bee vexed of his wife hee will call vppon God and desire his holy spirit to represse his affections but he falleth rather into worse and worse If a man espie any spot of wickednesse he defieth his wife by and by thereupon and casteth hir off The Diuell is a stickler betweene both and lyke a wylie Pye in this behalfe hee knoweth well ynough howe to finde occasions and meanes to seuer that asunder which God hath coupled together but neuerthelesse wee see what a lesson is giuen vs by our Lord Iesus Christ to wit that because the husband is not at libertie to put away his wife for any cause but for fornication he must moderate himselfe And that albeit his wife be not altogether perfect but haue her infirmities yet he must seeke to amend them by gentlenes and howsoeuer hee fare he must take heede that hee shew himselfe gentle and nourish peace and concord with his wife And heereuppon let women on their parte bethinke themselues to acknowledge the fauour which GOD sheweth them and to magnifie him for it Seeing GOD hath vouchsafed them such honour as to ioyne them to their husbandes who are their heads let them not perke vp aboue them but let them enforce themselues so much the more to take paynes in the thinges whcih are appointed them to serue their husbandes in and let them haue this consideration to say behold the husband is as it were the head of mankinde and women are as it were the body Now sith God hath ioyned mee vnto an husbande to bee his ayde and companion I must endeuour to please my husbande in such wise that he haue no cause to be grieued by me He is to beare with me as God hath commaunded him and seeing God hath such a care of me ought I not to haue the more heedefull eye to gouerne my selfe so as I be not a torment and vexation vnto my husband And if there bee in me any euill qualitie let mee bee the first my selfe to correct it and to fight so against it that I bee not forced and constrayned otherwise to reforme my selfe but let me of my owne goodwil seeke to please my husband that there may be peace and quietnesse among vs and not brawling fighting as it were betweene diuels Ye see in what sort euery man ought to haue an eye vnto his dewtie when our GOD speaketh of the pure coniunction which ought to be in marriage sheweth that as touching men it is by no meanes to be broken But nowe let vs passe farther in this matter pursuing that which our Lorde Iesus Christ saith when hee was asked Matt. 19.8 And why then did Moses permit that bill of diuorcement Hee did it saith hee because of the hardnesse of your heartes but it was not so in the beginning This is rehearsed in the nineteenth Chapter of saint Matthew Nowe note for one point that our Lorde vpbraideth the Iewes with the hardnesse of their heartes and that is to the intent wee should learne to condemne our selues if ciuill order bee not so perfect among vs as it ought to bee When wee see that the Church of God may be founde faultie in many thinges when wee are not reformed according to the order and practise of the Apostles when we keepe not that purenesse which was in the primatiue Church when wee see howe wee offend in these pointes let euery one of vs sigh for sorrowe and examining our selues say Alas we ought to haue this thing wee ought to haue that but we are farre from hauing of them Wee see what order hath beene heeretofore First as touching the almes of the Church there were Deacons in that behalfe We see how liberall euery man shewed himselfe so as there was no necessitie there was but one minde and one affection so as the faithfull were but one Wee see also touching the supper of our Lorde Iesus Christ that it was administred in such wise that if there were any man of a loose and dissolute life he was put from it And excommunication was of an other force than it is men vsed it after an other fashion than they do nowadaies And likewise as touching Baptisme it was ministred with such reuerence that euery man was attentiue vnto it the congregation was assembled together as if one were to receiue an holy freedomship as in very deede it is But among vs none of these thingâ— ere so as they should be After the state of ciuill gouernment faults are not halfe punished therein And if there be any punishments they are but playes and pastimes as a man may say What ought wee to call to minde heereupon when we see that both generally and particularly things are not so well ordered as they ought to bee Surely euery man ought to consider and to say alas it is because of the hardnesse of our hearts that we can haue no such order as ought to be among the children of God that things are so wasted and that no remedie can be had in this behalfe What is the cause heereof To whom
eye alwayes on the Lawe wherein our Lorde hath comprised the effect and abridgement of his wil that is also the true touchstone whereby we ought to try all our words yea and all our thoughts Seeing it is so let vs returne thither although wee bee not punished by men yet let vs not cease to mislyke of our â—â—lues for our vices knowing that they must elsewhere be accounted for albeit GOD hath spared vs in this lyfe And yet there are now and then some by punishmentes layde on vs in that respect insomuch that although God call vs not solemnlie vnto the barre ne frame an inditement precisely against vs yet neuerthelesse he vseth some kinde of chastisement to admonish vs of our faultes as wee see that this hauing of many wiues was not punished yet our Lord ceased not to shewe that it was a detestable thing in his sight as whereby the order of marriage was broken and violated Let vs therefore consider of all the corrections which GOD sendeth to the intent we may preuent his anger and not abuse his patience although he for a long time beareth with vs. Briefly let vs take heede that we attempt not any thing against y e rule which is giuen vnto vs let vs alwayes return back vnto this point Matt. 19.8 It was not so in the beginning For if we aledge custome it shall not serue to exempt vs from condemnation if we say it hath bin in vse this long time we haue an infinite number of examples for it all this shal litle auaile vs. For why This one only word shall cut off all such excuses where it is sayde that what GOD hath once established it must be alwayes obserued although men bee changeable although they be rebellious and so through their venterousnesse and their rashnes make a confusion of all thinges and enterprise whatsoeuer their lust fancieth and thereupon carrie themselues headlong into all wickednesse yea and one folow an other all this shall be nothing before God but a more grieuous condemnation to aggrauate and to encrease the haynousnesse of their wickednesse And why so For it ought to suffice vs y t god hath declared vnto vs his will which cannot varie and from the which also it is not lawfull for vs to swarue Now moreouer let vs note well y t which God addeth Least they shoulde make the Lande to sinne which hee had giuen the Iewes to inherite Moses hath heretofore vsed the selfe same manner of speaking but seeing it is in this place rehearsed we ought to call to minde y t which hath bin already aboue declared that is to wit that if a vice raigne and men still let it slip they make the whole land to sinne y t it is to prouoke y e anger of God to nourish it that all are made guiltie thereof God sayth not that he which shall so take his wife againe shall sinne before God and not abide vnpunished that the woman lykewise committeth abhomination but he saith The Land shal sin And how y e land It may chaunce that there shall not be past a three or foure diuorcementes and yet y t there may be a million of people in y e land and why shal y e fault be so farre so largely exteÌ„ded It seemeth y t none besides him which maketh the diuorce ought to be accused But God knoweth well how hee ought to iudge And it is not for vs to teach him his lesson Let vs therfore holde vs vnto this decree of his which hee hath here pronouÌ„ced let vs know y t the whole land is defiled when sinnes raigne therein without any bridle and the cause is manifest For there Iustice cannot be without blame where is no bridle of restraint Where men haue not this consideration to say Behold God is offended this is a detestable thing but are altogether carelesse of it there iustice is idle And so forasmuch as y e magistrates execute not their office faithfully ye see how the sinne becommeth publique and so the whole people is as it were coÌ„senting vnto it And moreouer when wickednesse is so permitted euery man is of opinion y t all things are lawful for of custome men alwayes make a lawe And a mans eye may bee witnesse how on the one side men put away all shame on y e other side staÌ„d in no feare And doubtlesse y e feare we haue of punishment the shame which we haue of doing euill are two bridles to restraine vs. When these two thinges are layd aside so y t men set brasen faces on y e matter take leaue to do what they list there is no remedie but that all mischiefe must proceede thereof when sinnes haue so full scope And that is the cause why S. Paul vpbraideth the whole Church of Corinth with the incest which was committed 1. Cor. 5. â— although one man alone had taken to wife his mother in lawe Yee boast your selues saith he but what a shame is it y t you nourish such villanie filthinesse among you So theÌ„ let vs wisely consider y t as often as the scripture speaketh in this wise it is to admonish vs both publikely particularlie of our dutie y â— first of al such as haue publike charge dissemble not y e wickednesse which is coÌ„mitted but seeke to correct it y t the Pastours which haue y e charge of teaching doe open their mouthes wide w t all libertie and that when they see y t mischief encreaseth and iâ— augmented they cry out at it condemne it reproue represse it asmuch as lyeth in them that so much y e more seuere punishment be vsed in y e Church y t the magistrates who haue y e sword in their haÌ„d take heed y t they employ theÌ„selues to doe for their part what God hath coÌ„maunded them besides y t euery man priuately particularly enforce himselfe by exhortations admonitions to purge his house from al filthines to eschue auoyde all wicked companie y t we may at the leastwise shew y t the wickednesse displeaseth vs that we will not at any hand bee partakers thereof Ephes. 5.11 folowing y t which S. Paul saith That by not coÌ„senting vnto y e workes of darkenesse we must reproue theÌ„ Behold I say what y e thing is whereof we are admonished when God declareth y t the land is guiltie of sinne if an offence remain vnpunished And if we be not able to remedie the mischiefe thereof let vs bewaile our selues knowing that if God wold deale rigorously w t vs we were worthy to be plunged forthwith into y e deepest dungeon of hel As for example if blasphemies fornications other vnruly behauiours lewd wicked practises wrongful dealinges deceites cruelties raigne in any place there be no end of them let vs know y t when God giueth SataÌ„ such libertie as to coÌ„tinue such an outragious disorder in
all things it is a signe y t he is angrie w t vs that we want his kingdome Knowing this let vs be sorrie walk in y e greater heedefulnesse praying him to vse mercie towardes vs and with fatherly gentlenesse to correct that wickednesse of ours whereby wee deserued to be rased and rooted out of the land of the liuing euen out of hand if God woulde deale with vs according vnto our offences Yee see in effect what wee haue to beare in minde concerning this place And now Moses addeth two Lawes whereof the one tendeth to the fauoring of such as are new marryed and the other serueth to barre them which lend monie from being ouer cruel and from beeing so greedy in taking of pawnes and gages as to destroy their neighbors and to take from them y e meanes wherby they might liue Ye see in effect what the two poyntes bee which are contained here Now as touching the first there is no doubt but Moses had an eye therein vnto the common profit of all For at the first sight a man might finde it strange what the cause should be why he dispensed thus with newe marryed folkes that they shoulde keepe themselues at home that they shoulde not bee compelled to goe vnto warre that they should haue none of those charges layde vppon them which might turne them from their familie For to what end and purpose was this but that God in commaunding such an order by his seruant Moses had an eye vnto that which might folow by the contrarie For when a man taketh a wife it is good and requisite that he forme fashion her that is to say that he teach and accustome her so to liue as they may agree both together al the time of their life Now if a man take a woman to wife and at the end of three dayes leaue her while the wife knoweth not yet the maners and conditions of her husband and while the husbād likewise is vnacquainted with the disposition of his wife it may be a cause that they shall not agree together all their lyfe long And again we know what yong housholders are vntil they be by longer time inured to know by vse and experiēce how to set their houshold in order Now if a man bee led away the first day and forsake his wife the yong woman not knowing what belongeth to the ordering of an house and remaining alone may fall into many inconueniences And though there were none other than this which we haue alleged yet were it enough and too much namely that the husband returning after some time shall bee as one vtterly vnacquainted with his wife and the wife in lyke sorte shall be as strange to him which thing might be an occasion that they shoulde neuer agree one with another God then had respect vnto this And therefore let vs not imagine that this Lawe was made for pleasures sake to say that a man should sporte himselfe with his wife which hee hath taken I graunt that Moses vseth this word but that is because he would therein comprise al the profite which commeth by this meanes of the husbandes ioyning and vniting of himselfe vnto his wife wherby there groweth a conformitie of manners betweene them so as the one is well knowen to the other and they are brought to this point that they can beare each with other but yet neuerthelesse God hath in this place an eye vnto the common profit and welfare of all Now it is very true that this law respecteth in such sort the policie and rule of gouernment among the Israelites that we are not bound therunto but yet for all that as I haue declared afore wee must gather some doctrine from that which God had ordayned for the people of olde time We must euer haue an eye vnto the ende which God ameth at and from thence gather y e substance of the law which appertaineth vnto vs and is belonging as common vnto vs together with the Iewes Now in effect it is heere declared vnto vs that men ought to auoyde all occasions which serue to estranging of thē frō their wiues to the disordring of their house We are already of our selues ouer frail weake though no farther occasion be offered wee see how many swarue aside from their dueties are so ticklishe y t they cannot holde themselues quiet still in their vocation But now if there bee some other temptation y t men wander wilfullie trust to their own cōstancie presume vpon maruelous things in thēselues in the meane time keepe not thēselues vnder y e bridle of God what other thing may fal out in y e end but extreme cōfusiō Let vs therfore learne not to tempt God through ouer great boldnesse and presumption but let euery one take heede he hold himselfe within his boundes to y e end he may be the more inabled to discharge himself of his duetie For euen whē we would vse all the meanes wee can possiblie to doe that well which God hath ordayned yet our fleshe hath alwayes such whot boylings that we are oftentimes as headstrong horses which are broken loose We haue neede therfore to be held backe by diuers sundry meanes And therfore let vs looke vnto our selues as our Lord warneth vs. And againe on the other side we haue also to beare in minde that which Saint Paul declareth in the seuenth of the first to y e Corinthians to wit y t they which are married are intangled in many cares the which according vnto rigour might be imputed for sinne except God did vse such gentlenesse towardes vs yea and that such fatherlie gentlenesse as to wink at our faults this ought to be wel considered For whē a man entreth into mariage if he think vpon y e multitude of troubles incōmodities which it hath it will breede such a feare in him y t hee will wish to withdrawe himself farre from it And besides y t the diuil hath indeuored as much as is possible to diffame mariage to the intent men shoulde so become as brute beastes in defiling thēselues with fornication yea that vnder colour of auoiding y t bondage which in respect of marriage seemeth to be ouerhard grieuous Matt. 19.10 as y e disciples also sayd If it be so it were good for a man not to touch a woman Yea saith our Lord Iesus Christ if so be hee were at his owne choyce But now least when we consider of y e incommodities troubles which are in marriage we should be wholy discouraged let vs returne vnto y t which is declared vnto vs in this place For it was a good thing y t the people of God being set vpon assaulted should go forth to warre to employ thēselues in y e defence of the whole countrie bodie of their people and also furnish out such other charges an offices as serued to maintaine y e Church of God Now when
commaundeth vs. Let vs therefore note wel that although it be sayde in this place that the Iudges shall beare the plainetifes and iudge their cause yet is it not lawefull for any man to accuse his neighbour if he doe it thorough enmitie and euill will And this letteth not but that we ought alwayes to be patient for those iniuries which men doe vnto vs. For what doeth patience impose Not that wee shoulde not onely not bee set vppon reuenge but also that wee should seeke to doe them good which persecute vs and that we should pray for them which curse vs. This is the thing which we are commaunded and therefore let vs followe it and then it shall be lawefull for vs to flee for refuge vnto them which are armed with authoritie to maintaine the good and to punish the wicked and to represse all wrongful and outragious dealings we may then I say haue our recourse vnto them Nowe it followeth That the wicked man shal be condemned according to his desert There is here no mention of such offences as were to be punished by death For if there were murder committed or adulterie or such like thinges they were punished by death We haue seene howe God commaunded that all such kindes of wickednesse should be vtterly rooted out but here he speaketh but of such iniuries as deserue some other chastisement And that is the cause why it is sayde That the malefactour shall be punished according to his desert yet so that he shall not haue aboue fortie stripes For they vsed a whippe made of an oxe hide to chastise them which dealt wrongfully and outragiously with their neighbour alwayes prouided that the offence deserued not death It is sayde That they shall no◠passe the number of fortie stripes And why To the intent that the man shoulde not be mangled or disfigured in his body but remaine whole and sounde Ye see then in effect what is heere declared to wit first that the sentence must not be giuen in vaine and secondly that some moderation must be vsed so as the rigour be not excessiue First I say the sentence must not be in vaine but it must be put in execution For sometimes yee shall see Iudges make a countenaunce of thundring at a man howebeit that shal be but for some policie When they are minded to let an offender escape they will condemne him to doubble and trebble punishment What say they This wicked fellowe is not worthy to liue A man would maruaile to heare them but when the thing should be put in execution it falleth out to a mockerie But our Lorde sheweth that they may not dally so with him and that seeing the magistrates beare not the sworde in vaine nor are armed with authoritie in way of dallyaunce they must vse their power and when they haue pronounced sentence they must afterwardes doe Iustice in executing of it And that is the very cause why they are called the soules of the Lawe For a lawe without magistrates is as a bodie which hath neither sense nor mouing And when the bodie is idle and stirreth not it is a signe that the soule is altogether blockish And therefore when there are good lawes and some outwarde forme of Iustice and yet for all that there is no execution thereof Insomuch that it shal be sayde Thus it must be and yet the Statutes shal be disobeyed yea and sentence shal be giuen and yet slippe away vnexecuted Surely it is a token of too grosse blockishnesse in those which shold giue strength to y e law y t it might not be vnprofitable That thē is y ◠thing which God declareth in the first place For speaking of the executing of sentence hee sayeth Lette the iust be declared for such a one and lette him which hath doone wrong bee condemned lette him bee punished according to his deserts Nowe heereby he giueth vs to vnderstand that we must not lette any such faultes scape as ought to be punished neither behoueth it vs alonely to shewe our zeale in punishing of greate enormities but also to consider that smaller faultes drawe on the greater when they are let alone as buried God therefore pronounceth expressely that the malefactour shall be punished And when Not onely when hee hath offended so grieuously that his fault is vnpardonable but if the fault be litle he will haue the punishment and correction aunswerable thereunto hee will not haue men to say O it is a small fault lette it passe Well the matter is not great he may escape the better cheape No howe small soeuer his offence be hee will haue him smart for it and be an example vnto others Let vs therefore weigh this worde well yea let vs weigh it so much the better because wee see that the practise noweadayes runneth cleane contrarie for men seeke nothing else but to lessen their faultes In deede a man shall not bee altogither excused when he hath offended but yet neuerthelesse hee which doeth the wrong shall finde alwayes some aduocate to pleade for him yea euen without bearing the name of it He ought to be as a Iudge in the case and yet he will so mitigate the faulte as it shall not be punishable faire gloses shall still be founde to colour the matter withall O sir will one say There is such a circumstaunce there is this and that to be considered in the case so the tenth part of mens faults shal not bee punished For why They bee not found so grieuous and hainous as they be in deede No but yet for al y t if the fault bee small God will haue the chastisement answearable thereunto and if it be greate he wil haue the punishment the more seuere and greeuous Thus yee see in effect what wee haue to beare in minde Nowe whereas GOD speaketh thus vnto earthly Iudges let vs knowe that for his parte he might well punish vs by his iustice and that not for petie faultes but for notorious transgressions Who is so iust and innocent among vs that he findeth not himselfe faultie before God yea and that in many offences Moreouer how many faults do we commit through vnaduisednesse when we thinke not on them And therefore if God vsed not great mercie towardes vs he should lift vp his hand against vs and drowne vs in the pitte of destruction euerie minute of an houre So then whereas wee liue still and are preserued lette vs acknowledge that it is thorough the infinite goodnesse of our God For if as touching earthly Iustice hee commandeth the least faultes to be punished he might himselfe by greater reason lay his hande vpon vs euen to roote vs out of the earth especially considering the infinite number of faultes whereof we be guiltie before him And if it be alleadged Well then seeing God is so mercifull ought not men also to be mercifull and so to followe him it is easily aunswered That GOD hath this libertie to forgiue whome hee will besides this
trespasses That is the onely remedie without which there will bee neyther ende nor measure of our afflictions except wee take order to reconcile our selues to our God Nowe where hee alleageth that none shall saue them That is to cut off all the vayne hopes which men doe forge to them selues in their owne braynes when hee punisheth them They looke hither and thither and if they finde any comfort in this worlde it seemeth vnto them that they shall make a stoppage against God and that they shall bee able to winne the goale in the ende In deede they will not say so for it is a blasphemie which all of vs doe holde accursed but yet wee bee so doltish that wee hope to turne away the hande of GOD when wee finde any helpe heere in so much that if men beare vs any fauour and wee bee supported in any thing wee arme our selues therewith against God But Moses telleth vs heere that it is in vayne for men to seeke dyuers succours after that fashion when GOD warreth vppon them For why All creatures are in his hande and without him they can doe nothing More ouer that which is for our benefite shall become our bane and all thinges shall redounde to our confusion Let vs not therefore looke to bee saued by anye meanes that may bee when our Lorde taketh parte against vs but let vs returne vnto him seeing that there is none other remedie but that and let vs ridde our selues of all such thinges as may hinder vs to come to repentance Let vs then bee quickened vp by these two sayings of Moses that wee sleepe no more in our vayne fantasies as wee haue beene earst too much accustomed But what There are very fewe which thinke vppon that For euery man martyreth himselfe if his griefe continue and hee fynde no helpe in men In all our afflictions wee can complayne welynough but wee consider not that GOD withholdeth mennes helpe from vs when hee intendeth to punish vs in such wise that wee shall after a sorte bee vtterly ouerwhelmed And againe if our sorrowe continue it is because wee haue persisted too much in our stubbornnesse Wee thinke not a whit of all this But yet are not these things written in vayne And therfore let vs learne to profite better thereby than wee haue done in times past Finally Moses setteth foorth by this threatening howe wee shal bee vexed and robbed if wee offende against the lawe of God Hee sayeth Thou shalt marry a wife and not lye with her Thou shalt buylde a house and not dwell therein Thou shalt plant a vyneyarde and not gather the fruite thereof Yea they shall take thy Beefe and thy Muttons and kill them and thou shalt continue still a hungred and not onely all thy cattell shall bee made a praye and a bootie but thy verie children also shall bee deliuered into the handes of thine enimies and thou shalt yerne after them and thine eyes shall dasle for verie greefe and sorrowe in the meane whyle thy hande shal bee without strength or power to recouer them It had beene ynough to haue sayde in one worde Thou shalt suffer robberies extortions and wronges but because men are slowe it behooueth them to bee so much the better touched and to beholde the thing as it were before their eyes That is the cause why Moses speaketh heere of houses and vyneyeardes of wiues and children and of cattell As if hee shoulde say Some shall bewayle the taking away of their houses which they had builded the putting of them from their vyneyeardes and their other possessions the spoyling of their goods and the driuing away of their cattell And othersome shall bewayle the wrong that is done vnto them in their children and in their very wiues But wee bee to consider that all these thinges bee the scourges of God wherewith hee punisheth vs for our sinnes It is certayne as I haue sayde alreadie heretofore that GOD at sometimes for the exercising of the faithfull in patience doeth sende them the verye chasticementes heere mentioned and yet punisheth them not for their offences For Iob was not punished for his sinnes Not that GOD had not iust cause so to doe but for that hee had no respect to that howe so euer the case stand surely it is an ordinarie matter In deede wee may alleage many examples of men that are tormented and vexed by the wicked so as they bee driuen from post to piller and robbed of their goods such examples doe happen euery day but this prooueth not that this doctrine taketh not place and that it is not true in it selfe as an ordinarie rule to wit that God punisheth mens sins by such meanes Nowe when wee haue walked in the feare of God and endeuoured to serue him and yet notwithstanding our substaunce is taken away and the robbers possesse it let vs consider that if this bee not doone for our sinnes our Lorde giueth vs a great preeminence For first of all of whome was it long that wee offended him not We were preserued by his holy spirite And moreouer notwithstanding any good affection and zeale that wee haue had to liue vprightly and vncorruptly yet wee cease not to be guiltie before God But what for that Hee spareth vs and yet hee meaneth to trye our patience for to humble vs. When it is his will that wee shall beare the miseries which bee punishmentes for them that despite his lawe and that wee must feele them well wee must stoope And thereby hee tryeth vs howe pliable wee bee vnder his hande to yeeld vnto his gouernement as shall stande with his good pleasure Moreouer this alwayes taketh place as wee haue sayde afore that our Lord punisheth the offences and transgressions of his lawe by the things that are specified here So then when a man buildeth let him take heede that hee buylde not with extortion pilling polling and robberie vnlesse it bee his meaning to haue his house taken from him according as it is spoken by the Prophet Abacuc 〈◊〉 ◠11 For the Prophet bringeth in the walles singing and answering one another For in as much as mens Palaces and houses bee oftentimes buylded with bloud robberie extortion and wicked practises and the verie walles them selues doe crye out that they were buylded with pilling and polling it must needes waken vp Gods wrath and vengeance against such buylders Desire wee then to bee harboured in peace Let vs looke that wee buylde without doyng wrong to any body whatsoeuer hee bee And moreouer let euery of vs in his dwelling dedicate himselfe in such wise to God as hee may dwell with vs. For they that are driuen out of their dwellings haue commonly driuen God out before that is to say they haue followed some lewde trade so as GOD hath not reigned there Is it then any wonder if they bee driuen thence in the ende No For why Shall GOD bee thrust from his right and wee in the meane while possesse euery man
his dwelling in rest Were that reason Therefore when wee see such changes to happen as they bee to bee seene in the worlde let vs vnderstande that GOD driueth them out which earst woulde giue him no lodging and let such examples admonish vs to stande in feare of the threatenings heere specified And let vs not tarrie till our Lorde banish vs from the place where wee bee harboured but let vs rather endeuour to serue him so as hee may continue alwayes with vs to maintayne vs. And if it come to passe that wee bee driuen out let vs vnderstande that the same is for our sinnes for it is better late than neuer Moreouer if we bee driuen out for any other cause as at this day wee see the poore faithfull people in state like a byrde on the bough as though the earth coulde not beare them 1. Cor. 4. â—â— as Saint Paul speaketh of his time and as it is knowen at this present time that the children of God bee as vagabondes hauing not a hole to hyde themselues in when wee beholde these things let vs vnderstande that forasmuch as our Lorde leadeth vs this walke hee doeth vs great fauour that the same is not because of our sinnes but for his names sake and for our better establishment in the hope of the heauenly inheritance seeing that there is nothing sure nor stable in this present worlde but that wee must alwayes aspire to the eternall life and to the rest that is prepared for vs on high Let vs then acknowledge the good that hee doeth vnto vs in this poynt But in any wise let vs take good heede that wee prouoke not his wrath against vs is such sort as I haue said afore Nowe whereas hee sayth Thou shalt marrie a wife and another shall lye with her let euery man take heede to walke in such chastitie as hee drawe not vppon him this curse of God in such wise as to bee depriued of the wife the he thinkes to haue and the wiues in like case of their husbandes Wee see howe men bee giuen ouer to all vnchastitie and God must needs yeelde them their rewarde accordingly Dauid himselfe was not spared in this case 2. Sam. 12.12 Wee heare howe it was sayde vnto him Thou hast done this in secrete but that shal bee done openly Hee was fayne to abyde reproche before all the worlde in hauing his wiues rauished openly Sith it is so then let vs take good heede that wee walke in such chastitie that when men take wiues they may so liue together as they may feele the blessing of God and that their marryages bee not broken through the committing of any offence For as I haue sayde it is no wonder that there bee so confused changes in the worlde at this day because men doe more and more kindle the wrath and vengeance of God It is euen in like case with adulteries For what is the cause that they reygne so ryfe and are come as yee woulde say to their full pryde It is because wedlocke is so little regarded and that there is no feare of God there is neither faith nor trueth and therefore must men needes plunge themselues in all misfortune so that in the ende there will bee nothing but disorder So much the more therefore ought wee to take warning to walke so in all cleannesse of life as euery one may keepe him to his owne wife and the Lorde blesse their marryages and mayntayne them in quietnes Moreouer seeing that God is matched with vs in the person of his onely sonne and woulde haue vs to keepe fast the faith of wedlocke towardes him according to the simplicitie of his Gospell let vs sticke throughly to that which hee hath commaunded vs and to bee short let vs be halowed vnto him and followe his holy calling For if wee doe so our Lorde will graunt vnto husbandes the grace to liue quietly with their wiues and housholds and vnto the wiues that they shall learne to liue in good agreement with their husbandes For wee must marke that if man and wife doe not ioyne in one mynde there must needes bee discorde in the whole house and one shall byte and snatch at another like dogges and cattes and the one woulde wish the other a hundred foote vnder the ground so as they shall liue in continuall miserie and disquietnes And why Because that neither the one nor the other hath any regarde to God to yeelde themselues to his direction Therefore let vs leane not to prouoke any more the vengeance of God in this case As concerning the landes and possessions he sayeth That the transgressours of the law of God shall plant vines but they shall neuer gather the fruite of them Nowe wee see that they which haue thus offended God bee the stoutest and boldest sort bearing themselues in hand that no harme can come neere them And that is the cause why wee see that the greatest getters the doers of greatest enterprises are those which wilfully giue them selues to pilling and polling by hooke and by crooke hauing no care what polling and extorsion they commit and offending both God and man without ende or measure Such persons as these therefore must afterward yeelde an account They beare themselues in hand that when they haue plaÌ„ted vyneyeards they shall inioy them without controuersie and that when they haue buylded houses they shall dwel in them without putting out againe Thus do men hardeÌ„ theÌ„selues against God But Moses coÌ„trariwise declareth That when they haue planted vines other men shall gather the fruite of them And in deede whereas wee see at this day so much theeuerie in the worlde let vs vnderstand that it is because there bee so fewe that haue cleane handes and are able to protest that they haue not encroched vppon the goods of other men by vniust meanes Soothely there is so vnmeasurable disorder nowadayes that the children of God bee fleeced though they abstayne from all manner of iniuries But we must euermore haue recourse to the ordinarie course whereof I haue spoken to wit that our Lorde will not fayle to punish the sinnes that breake out after that fashion like a waterfloud As for them that haue landes and possessions they will not goe to steale otherfolkes goods nor to picke a fewe grapes they will not go filchingly to cut down a patche of medowe it is for beggers to doe for and wee see in these dayes that the most parte of poore folkes are pilferers filching and stealing all that euer they can finger But yet they that haue landes and possessions bee the greatest theeues for the things which they possesse they get by vnlawfull meanes It is no wonder then if God do requite them with the like and that they bee so vexed in their goods and possessions God therefore sheweth vs by experience that his vttering of such speeches is not in vayne but wee thinke not thereon Men can well ynough complayne as I haue sayde
Baptisme the marke of Gods free bestowed Adoption 1110. b 40 It auaileth vs not any whit to haue hearde Gods worde vntill our Adoption be sealed by the holy Ghost 440. a 30 Why the couenant and Adoption that God had made with the Iewes was broken off 420. b 20.30 Whereunto the Adoption of vs to bee Gods children tendeth 355. a 10 Of the fauourable Adoption of almightie God most notable doctrine 169. a 10.20.30.40.50 At what time God vouchsafed y e Iewes his Adoption 181. a 10 In what respects we doe what we can to ouerthrowe Gods Adoption 300. a 40 Our Adoption to bee the members of Christ is by the Gospel 62. b 60 Howe we blot out the writing of our Adoption 313. a 10 Of the Adoption of the Iewes and to what intent the same was 917. a 10 The end of our Adoption and wherto the same serueth 910. a 30.40 The benefite of our Adoption in Iesus Christ. 28. a 50 Of our Adoption that be Christians vnder what condition the same is 882. b 50.60 The warrant of our Adoption must suffice vs against al troubles and aduersities 105. a 10.20 What our behauiour ought not to be when God hath vouchsafed to make vs his children by Adoption 43. b 40. Looke Election Aduance That wee Aduance our selues against God though we wil be acknowne of no such thing 410 b 10. c. Howe men behaue themselues in their Aduancement and a warning vnto them 363. a 30.40 Aduanced How he that is Aduanced to some degree should bethinke himselfe 363 b 40.50 Howe we must behaue our selues when we are aduanced by God 363. a 60. b 10 Aduancement Of the AduancemeÌ„t of Iosue into Moses roome being but his seruant 51. a 10.20.30 How we ought to reason with our selues touching others Aduancement 52. a 20.30 AduancemeÌ„t made Ieroboam to turne away from the true religion 64. b 10 20.30 We ought to repine or grudge at y e Aduancement of others 51. b 20.30 Euerie man seekes his owne Aduancement 51. a 30 To what intent God vouchsafeth men Aduancement and preeminence 51. a 40.50 Aduantage Howe the Iewes construed al the promises of the holy scripture to their own AduaÌ„tage 580. a 20.30 Looke Gaine and Profite Aduenture The meaning of this sentence spoken by God I will come against you at al Aduenture 990. a 10 Of this word Aduenture vsed in scripture and whereto the same hath relation 989. b 30 Of walking at all Aduenture and howe that word vttered by God is meant 989. b 30.40.50.60.990 a 10 Aduersitie Euen in our abundance wee must bee mindfull of our Aduersitie Reade how 368. b 30 Gods mercy becoÌ„meth better knowne vnto vs if the Aduersitie whereout we are deliuered bee recorded vnto vs. 366.110.20.30.40 Our behauiour in Aduersitie noted to our shame 156. a 60. 10 Why it is good reason that we shoulde passe the way of Aduersitie 359. a 40 How we must call our selues to remembrance when wee see any folke pinched with Aduersitie 210. b 40.50 How farre foorth Aduersity must ouermaster vs. 156. b 10 Howe long and during what time wee must be patient in Aduersitie 156. b 10 How we hauing had experience of Aduersitie should bethinke our selues of others being in the same case 589. b 50.60.590 a all Aduersitie likened to a fornace why 349. b. 20.30 A meditation to bee vsed of vs both in our Aduersitie and in our prosperity 348. b 20.30.40 Patience knowen in aduersitie 349. a 20 Aduersities Gods purpose in suffering vs to languish in our Aduersities 106. a 10 How God will haue vs vse our selues in Aduersities 140. b 20 Who they bee that are willing to returne to God in their Aduersities 156. a 30 How we thinke vpon the Aduersities wherewith God yerketh vs. 348. a 10.20.30.40 All the Aduersities that God sendeth vs are instructions c. 347. b 10 How wee shoulde bee priuileged from all the Aduersities that trouble vs. 360. b 10.20 Men themselues are to be blamed for all the Aduersities and miseries which they endure in this worlde 263. b 30.50 Whereof God putteth vs in minde by the Aduersities which he layeth vpon vs. 410. a 20. Looke Afflictions Chastisements Adulterer Touching these wordes Thou shalt not be an Adulterer read page 224 a 20. the whole sermon through Looke Fornicators Adulterers In what respects God esteemeth vs for Adulterers 225. a 10.20.30 Looke Whoremongers Adulterie How we ought to loath the worde Adâ—ltetie when we heare it 225. a 10 The literali meaning of these words to commit Adulterie 224. b 30.40 Adulterie the chiefe breaking of mariage 224. b 50.60 Howe the lawe forbidding women to weare mens apparel expoundeth the commandement Thou shalt not commit Adulterie 774. a 50.60 b 10.20 The commandement Thou shalt not commit Adulterie explaned where adulterie is throughly described 788. all What we haue to learne in that God punished Adulterie so grieuously 788. a 30.40 What we haue to gather by that fact of Christ in that he punished not the woman taken in Adulterie 790. b 60.791 a 10 Diuorsement permitted by Christ in y e case of Adulterie 839. b 60.840 a 10 c. Looke Fornication WhoredoÌ„ Adulteries The true cause why Adulteries are so ranke and rife 977. b 50.60 Aduocate We must let Christ alone with the office of Aduocate where also the Papistes doctrine twyted 418. the whole page Looke Mediator Aegypt A description of the people of Aegypt 599. a 20.30 Why Aegypt is termed the house of bondage 185. a 20.30 Aegypt was fuller fraught with ydoles than all the worlde beside 185. b 10 The lande of Aegypt watered partly by raining and partly by nature 466 b. 30.40 c. The lande of Aegypt hath one propertie which all other lands haue not 466. b 40 Aegyptians The vaine boast of the Aegyptians touching their long continuance 1129. a 20 The reason why God commaunded the Iewes that they shoulde not abhorre the Aegyptians 808. all and so forwarde in the sermon 132. In what cases the Isrealits were bound and beholden to the Aegyptians 810 a 30.40.50 Why it is saide that the Aegyptians shall be receiued into the Church 810. a 20.30 c. Why the Aegyptians are holden for the cursedst people of all nations in the worlde 811. a 40.50 c. The Aegyptians in Moses time noted for their grosse idolatrie 101. b 40.50 Affaires Who bee aduised and who hastie in dispatching their affaires 340. a 30 Looke Labour and Workes Affections Vntill when our Affections will be inordinate whether it be in mirth or in mourning 554. a 10 How wee bee carried and driuen by the headinesse of our affections 518. b 20 In the executing of iustice all Affections of friendship and kinred c. must be suppresed Read sermon 130. and page 801. a 10.20 The cause why wee bee entangled in earthlie lustes and Affections 3. b 40 Our naughtie Affections turne vs away from God c. 114. a 10 Our Affections
30.40.50 What Christ sheweth himselfe to be in healing y e bodily Diseases 1018. b 40 Of the Diseases of the soule to whom the curing of thē doth belong 1018. b 40.50.60 Howe many sorts of Diseases God sendeth vs so many witnesses he sēdeth to proue that we haue sinned against him c. 972. a 50 Sundrie Diseases named and in what cases God maketh them his men of warre against vs. 971. b 10 Howe we ought to iudge of Gods dealing towards vs when he sendeth extraordinary Diseases among vs. 971. b 20.30 How lightly we thinke of the common Diseases reigning among vs. 971. b 30. Looke Plagues and Sicknesses Disobey In what cases children must Disobey their parents 759. b 10.20.30 Disobedience Disobedience against God and what they deserue that refuse to heare the voice of their heauenly father 760. a 40.50.60 b 10 What we haue to gather in that Magistrats and iudges were commanded by him to punish y e Disobedience of children against their parents with death 760. b 40.50.60 759 b 40. 760. a 10.20 These words of Paul that Gods wrath is wont to come vpon Disobedience 706. b 40.50 All Disobedience against superiours of what state soeuer intollerable in gods sight 929. b all The cause of our Disobedience to God is because we hate him 192. a 40 The desperate continuall Disobedience of the Iewes against God laide downe in particulars 383. the whole page and 384. a 10.20 A iust reward of Disobedience and to be remembred 45. a 20.30 Howe men iustifie themselues in their Disobedience against god 33. b 30. c. God hath not left Disobedience and vnbeleefe vnpunished 42. b 60 How men fall not onely into Disobedience but also into sturdinesse against God 34. a 20 All Disobedience springeth of ignorāce and of y e contempt of God 1000. a 10 Disorder The cause of such Disorder as there is in our life 73. a 50. Howe long our life shal be full of Disorder and confusion 110. b 10. Looke Confusion Distresse Forceable perswasions to mooue vs to haue compassiō on such as be in Distresse neede 590. a all b 10.20 Vnto what paine and Distresse the holy fathers were driuen 179. b 10 How we must be resolued if God linger his help and let vs alone in great Distresse 341. a 10 To what ende God sendeth vs neede or holdeth vs in any Distresse 347. b 20. 467. a 50.60 b 10. Looke Aduersitie Necessitie and Pouertie Distrust Distrust in God the cause why men be afraid to execute their charge 1076. b 50.60.1077 a. 10 Remedies against Distrust in cases as seemeth to vs of impossibilitie 372. b 50.60 373. a 10 Distrust the cause of couetousnesse and holding fast 583. b 10.20.30.40 In what points our Distrust and vnbeleefe in God bewrayes it selfe 412. b 30.40 1229. a 20.30.40 b 10.20 Of our Distrust in God his taking of an oth for our behoofe notwithstanding 1167. b al. 1223. a 20.30.40 b 10.20 Looke Vnbeleefe Diuell The Diuell hath not a seuerall dominion by himselfe and can doe nothing without leaue 669. b 10. 531. b 20.30 Whether the Diuell can Prophesie or no. 533. b 50.60.534 a 10 We haue neede to liue the more warily in these dayes for so much as the Diuell hath obtained to peruert the whole worlde Looke howe 289. a 10.20 What thing it is that the Diuell striues to do in these dayes more than euer he did erst 126. b 60. 127. a 10 The Diuell is named the prince of this worlde and of his cruell malice against vs. 38. a 30.40 Not one Diuel but infinit legions of diuels against vs whom we must withstand 476. b 40 The Diuell will reigne ouer vs if we be not acquainted with God 40. a 10 The Diuell disguiseth himselfe and assalteth vs diuerse wayes 124. b 50.60 How God serueth his turne by the Diuell and by wicked men 82. b 30.40 The Diuell our deadly enimie and his practises to destroy ceaslesse 55. b 30.40 Looke Enimie and Satan The Diuels were somtimes as the children of God c. Reade this place 170. b 10 Of seruing or sacrificing to Diuels and who do so and how 1131. b 30.40.50.60.1132 a 10.20 Diuination Diuination by the flight of birds forbidden 68. b 20.30 Diuision The causes of Diuision betweene vs the papists 287. b 10.20.30 Diuorsement A kinde of Diuorsement permitted by God to the Israelits and in what cases 787. b 20. 834. a 60. b all c. Of the matter of Diuorsement and in what cases it was lawful 836. a 40.50.60 That the benefite of Diuorsement and of marying again is indifferenth both to the man and the woman and in what cases 840. all 841. a 10.20 Touching Diuorsement reade much doctrine inclusiuely in the 122. Sermon being at page 748. c. Diuorsement permitted by Christ in the case of adulterie 839. b 60.840 a 10. c Diuorsement permitted as touching common order 835. b 40 Diuorsements Whereof Diuorsementes doe come and what is their cause 753. b 30.40.50.60 Touching Diuorsements reade what is written of purpose by Moses 834. a 60. b all c. The reason why God punished not the Diuorsements which the Iewes vsed 841. b 30.40 The Iewes Diuorsements condemned by God and why 841. b 10.20.30 No good reason that because God permitted or punished not the Iewes Diuorsements therefore he allowed them Looke the place 841. b all The iudgement of Christ and of Paul concerning Diuorsements 836. a 50.60 b all Of Diuorsements which were doone against al indifferencie and whether God permitted them 792. b 10.40 Dizzinesse Who they be that must needes be striken with the spirit of Dizzines c. 123. b 40.50 Looke Giddinesse Doctors The dealing of the Papistes when they alledge any of the ancient Doctors 489. b 20 Doctrine What we haue to doe when any Doctrine is to be followed 118. b 10 What we must doe if we intend to profite well in Gods Doctrine 422. b 60. 423. a 10 Excellent Doctrine vpon this point Euerie of vs must teach his children to walke in the feare of God 129. a 30.40 c. b 10.20.30.40 What we haue to vnderstand whensoeuer there is any sharpenesse or vehemencie in the Doctrine that is preached vnto vs in Gods name 370. a 50.60 The Doctrine that God sendeth downe to vs shoulde stande vs in no steede vnlesse hee added a seconde grace Reade howe 252. a 60. b 10 In what sort wee ought to receiue the Doctrine of the Gospel 256. a 40.50 The Doctrine of a Pope applyed to maried folke that they which are in the flesh cannot please God 228. b 50.60 and the absurde sequeles of that doctrine 229. a 10. c. The law of God is a full and perfite Doctrine wherein there wanteth nothing 111. a 10 God setteth vs downe a Doctrine of practise and not of knowledge only 111. a 20. 179. a 10 The